Method and apparatus for manufacturing a cutting insert

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing a cutting insert green body having undercuts includes providing a die cavity formed in closed top and bottom dies; closing a bottom of the die cavity by a bottom punch accommodated in a punch tunnel formed in the bottom die; filling the die cavity with a pre-determined amount of sinterable powder; moving a top punch towards the die cavity through a punch tunnel formed in the top die; compacting the powder by urging the top and bottom punches towards each other, thereby forming the green body; and moving the top die and punch away from the bottom die and punch, thereby enabling removal of the formed green body. An apparatus for manufacturing a cutting insert green body having undercuts includes top and bottom dies which abut each other and top and bottom punches which slide in their respective dies.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/321,917,filed Dec. 29, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,560,068. The contents of theaforementioned applications are incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus formanufacturing pre-sintered cutting insert green bodies, to besubsequently sintered into cutting inserts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fabrication of cutting inserts from sinterable powders, i.e.,metallurgical, cermets or ceramics powders, comprises compaction of thesinterable powder, with or without a fugitive binder, into apre-sintered green body, and subsequent sintering of the green body toproduce a cutting insert. Compaction takes place under high pressuresobtained through large opposing forces generated by top and bottompunches urged towards a die cavity formed in a die containing thesinterable powder, as is well known in the art. However, while partshaving undercut elements may generally be pressed, the undercut elementsinhibit release and subsequent extraction of the compacted green bodyfrom the die cavity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is preferably provided amethod for manufacturing a cutting insert green body, the methodcomprising the steps of:

(i) Providing top and bottom dies and top and bottom punches associatedtherewith and slidably reciprocable relative thereto. Each die comprisesopposing die abutment and die mounting faces and a die inner peripheralsurface extending therebetween. Each die inner peripheral surfacecomprises an inner first peripheral surface extending from the dieabutment face, an inner second peripheral surface extending from theinner first peripheral surface and converging inwardly to a die inneredge, and an inner third peripheral surface extending from the die inneredge to the die mounting face and forming a punch tunnel. Each punchcomprises opposing punch pressing and punch mounting faces, with a punchperipheral surface extending therebetween and forming a punch edge at anintersection of the punch peripheral surface and the punch pressingface.

(ii) Positioning the top and bottom dies in a closed position, in whichrespective die abutment faces abut, and respective inner first andsecond peripheral surfaces form a die cavity. The bottom punch islocated in the punch tunnel of the bottom die, and the top punch isexternal to the punch tunnel of the top die.

(iii) Filling the die cavity with a pre-determined amount of sinterablepowder.

(iv) Moving the top punch into the punch tunnel of the top die.

(v) Compacting the sinterable powder by urging the punches through therespective punch tunnels towards each other to a compaction position. Inthe compaction position, the punch edge of the top punch and the dieinner edge of the top die are contiguous, and the punch edge of thebottom punch and the die inner edge of the bottom die are contiguous,thereby forming the green body.

(vi) Moving the top die and punch away from the bottom die and punch toan open position, thereby enabling removal of the green body.

Preferably, the green body comprises opposing green body end faces and aperipheral side surface extending therebetween. The green body end facesare formed by the punch pressing faces. The green body peripheralsurface is formed by the die inner first and second peripheral surfacesof the top and bottom dies.

Further preferably, the green body comprises top and bottom green bodyedges formed at intersections of the top and bottom green body end faceswith the green body peripheral surface, respectively. Associatedcontiguous top and bottom punch edges and top and bottom die inner edgesform top and bottom common die cavity edges, respectively. The top andbottom green body edges are formed at the top and bottom common diecavity edges.

Yet further preferably, the green body comprises a median plane Mextending between the top and bottom green body end faces. In thecompaction position, the abutting top and bottom die abutment facescoincide with the green body median plane M.

If desired, the green body peripheral surface comprises top and bottomgreen body relief surfaces adjacent the green body edges. Each greenbody relief surface forms a relief angle ρ with the green body medianplane M. The relief angle ρ is obtuse at least a portion of each greenbody relief surface.

If further desired, the relief surfaces are formed by the inner secondperipheral surfaces.

Typically, the green body end faces comprise rake surfaces adjacent thegreen body edges. Adjacent rake and relief surfaces form a wedge havinga non-obtuse wedge angle ω.

Generally, the wedge angle ω is acute at least along a portion of thewedge.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the green body maycomprise a longitudinal through-hole extending between the green bodyend faces. The longitudinal through-hole is formed by a longitudinal rodextending between the punch pressing faces through the die cavity.

If desired, the longitudinal rod comprises slidably reciprocable top andbottom longitudinal pins disposed in top and bottom punch pinthrough-bores formed in the top and bottom punches.

Alternatively, the green body may comprise a lateral through-holeextending between two opposing green body major side surfaces of thegreen body peripheral surface. The lateral through-hole is formed by alateral rod extending through the die cavity between opposing inner sideportions of the inner first peripheral surfaces of the top and bottomdies.

Preferably, the lateral rod comprises opposing slidably reciprocablelateral pins disposed in top and bottom die pin channels of the top andbottom dies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how thesame may be carried out in practice, reference will now be made to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a green body manufactured in accordancewith the method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the green body shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a major side view of the green body shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the green body shown in FIG. 1,taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-section of a tool-set in accordance with thepresent invention, in a compaction position;

FIG. 6 is the schematic cross section of the tool-set shown in FIG. 5,in a closed position;

FIG. 7 is the schematic cross section of the tool-set shown in FIG. 5,in a filling position;

FIG. 8 is the schematic cross section of the tool-set shown in FIG. 5,in an open position;

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross section of a longitudinal through-holetool-set in the compaction position;

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross section of a lateral through-hole tool-setin the compaction position;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the tool-set shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the longitudinal through-holetool-set shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the lateral through-holetool-set shown in FIG. 10;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Attention is drawn to FIGS. 1 to 4. A pre-sintered green body 20 ispreferably formed by compaction of a sinterable powder consisting ofmetallurgical, ceramic or cermet powder, and a binder. The green body 20is generally rectangular in an end view and has identical, opposing(i.e., facing in opposite directions) top and bottom green body endfaces 22′, 22″. In the present description, when following a referencenumeral, a single prime (′) denotes a feature associated with the topside of the green body cutting insert, while a double prime (″) denotesa feature associated with the bottom side of the green body cuttinginsert. Each green body end face 22′, 22″ has a 180° rotational symmetryabout an axis of symmetry S which passes through the two green body endfaces 22′, 22″. A peripheral green body side surface 24 extends betweenthe two green body end faces 22′, 22″. The peripheral green body sidesurface 24 comprises two opposing, identical major side faces 24J of ageneral parallelogram shape; two opposing, identical minor side faces24N, also generally parallelogram in shape; and four curved cornersurfaces 24C. Each corner surface 24C extends between a major side face24J and an adjacent minor side face 24N.

Major and minor green body axes J, N are defined as being perpendicularto each other and to the axis of symmetry S. The major axis J extendsthrough the major side faces 24J and the minor axis N extends throughthe minor side faces 24N. Each major side face 24J has a 180° rotationalsymmetry about the major axis J, and each minor side face 24N has a 180°rotational symmetry about the minor axis N. The major and minor axes J,N define a median plane M extending between the top and bottom greenbody end faces 22′, 22″.

Intersections of each green body end face 22′, 22″ and the peripheralgreen body side surface 24 define top and bottom green body edges 26′,26″, respectively. Following sintering, the green body 20 becomes anindexable and reversible cutting insert and at least a portion of eachof the top and bottom green body edges 26′, 26″ becomes a cutting edge.

Each green body edge 26′, 26″ comprises two major edges 26J′, 26J″formed by the intersection of the major side faces 24J and each of thetop and bottom end faces 22′, 22″; two minor edges 26N′, 26N″ formed bythe intersection of the minor side faces 24N and each of the top andbottom end faces 22′, 22″; and four corner edges 26C′, 26C″ formed bythe intersection of the corner surfaces 24C and each of the top andbottom end faces 22′, 22″.

The peripheral green body side surface 24 has top and bottom reliefsurfaces 28′, 28″ adjacent the top and bottom green body edges 26′, 26″,respectively. Each major side face 24J has two major relief surfaces28J′, 28J″ adjacent the major edges 26J′, 26J″; each minor side faces24N has two minor relief surfaces 28N′, 28N″ adjacent the minor edges26N′, 26N″; and each corner surface 24C has two corner relief surfaces28C′, 28C″ extending along the corner edges 26C′, 26C″. A centralperipheral surface 30 extends between the top and bottom relief surfaces28′, 28″. Each major side face 24J has a major central surfaces 30Jextending between the top and bottom major relief surfaces 28J′, 28J″;each minor side face 24N has a minor central surfaces 30N extendingbetween the top and bottom minor relief surfaces 28N′, 28N″; and eachcorner surface 24C has a corner central surface 30C extending betweenthe top and bottom corner relief surfaces 28C′, 28C″. In a preferredembodiment, the green body median plane M intersects the centralperipheral surface 30.

Each of the major relief surfaces 28J′, 28J″ forms a major relief angleρJ with the green body median plane M. In accordance with the preferredembodiment, the major relief angles ρJ are obtuse, and therefor one ofthe top and bottom major relief surfaces 28J′, 28J″ constitutes anundercut element of the green body 20. It is understood that, similarly,the minor and corner relief surfaces 28N′, 28N″, 28C′, 28C″ form minorand corner relief angles with the green body median plane M.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the green body top end face 22′ has a top land32′ that extends parallel to, and inwardly from the top green body edge26′ towards the axis of symmetry S. The top land 32′ comprises a pair oftop major lands 32J′ formed along the top major edges 26J′, a pair oftop minor lands 32N′ formed along the top minor edges 26N′ and four topcorner lands 32C′ formed along the top corner edges 26C′. A Top rakesurface 34′ extends inwardly from the top land 32′ towards the axis ofsymmetry S while sloping towards the median plane M. The top rakesurface 34′ comprises a pair of top major rake surfaces 34J′ adjacentthe top major lands 32J′, a pair of top minor rake surfaces 34N′adjacent the top minor lands 32N′, and four top corner rake surfaces34C′ adjacent the top corner lands 32C′. It is understood that the greenbody top end face 22′, and in particular its top rake surface 32′, maycomprise various geometries and features, such as chip breakers. It isfurther understood that the green body bottom end face 22″ has a landand rake surface structure similar to that of the green body top endface 22′.

As seen in FIG. 4, adjacent top major relief surface 28J′ and top majorrake surface 34J′ form a top major wedge 36J′ having a top major wedgeangle ωJ′. It is understood that a top minor wedge having a top minorwedge angle is formed between adjacent top minor relief surface 28N′ andtop minor rake surface 34N′ while a top corner wedge 36C′ having a topcorner wedge angle is formed between each adjacent top corner reliefsurface 28C′ and top corner rake surface 34C′. In accordance with apreferred embodiment, the top major wedge angle ωJ′, the top minor wedgeangle and the top corner wedge angle are all acute. It is understoodthat the green body bottom end face 22 also has such wedges and wedgeangles.

Attention is now drawn to FIGS. 5 and 11. The green body 20 is compactedin a tool-set 38 having top and bottom dies 40′, 40″. Each die 40′, 40″comprises a die mounting face 42′, 42″ used to attach the die 40′, 40″to a press (not shown) opposing a die abutment face 44′, 44″ and dieouter and inner peripheral surfaces 46′, 46″, 48′, 48″ extendingtherebetween. Each die inner peripheral surface 48′, 48″ comprises aninner first peripheral surface 50′, 50″ extending from, and transverselyto, the die abutment face 44′, 44″; an inner second peripheral surface52′, 52″ extending from the inner first peripheral surface 50′, 50″ andconverging inwardly to a die inner edge 54′, 54″; and an inner thirdperipheral surface 56′, 56″ extending from the die inner edge 54′, 54″to the die mounting face 42′, 42″. The inner third peripheral surface56′, 56″ forms a punch tunnel 58′, 58″.

Top and bottom punches 60′, 60″ are associated with the top and bottomdies 40′, 40″, respectively, and adapted to be slidably reciprocable inrelation thereto, through the respective punch tunnels 58′, 58″. Thus,each punch can slide in either direction within its punch tunnel. Eachpunch comprises a punch mounting face 62′, 62″, used to attach the punchto the press, opposing a punch pressing face 64′, 64″ and a punchperipheral surface 66′, 66″ extending therebetween, forming a punch edge68′, 68″ at the intersection thereof with the punch pressing face 64′,64″. Each die or punch 40′, 40″, 60′, 60″ is capable of independentreciprocating motion relative to each of the other top and bottom diesor punches 40′, 40″, 60′, 60″.

Attention is additionally drawn to FIGS. 6 to 8. To manufacture thegreen body 20, the tool-set 38 is cycled through closing, filling,compaction and opening steps. In the closing step (FIG. 6), the tool-set38 is brought to a closed position, in which the die abutment faces 44′,44″ abut, and the first and second inner die peripheral surfaces 50′,50″, 52′, 52″, form a die cavity 70 extending between the top and bottomdie inner edges 54′, 54″. The bottom punch 60″ is located in the punchtunnel 58″ of the bottom die 40″, with its punch edge 68″ located belowthe die inner edge 54″, while the top punch 60′ is positioned outsidethe punch tunnel 58′ of the top die 40′.

In the filling step (FIG. 7), the die cavity 70 is filled through thepunch tunnel 58′ of the top die 40′ with a pre-determined amount ofsinterable powder 72. Subsequent to filling the die cavity 70, the toppunch 60′ is lowered into the punch tunnel 58′ of the top die 40′,thereby sealing the sinterable powder 72 in the die cavity 70.

In the compaction step, the sinterable powder 72 is compacted to formthe green body 20, as shown in FIG. 5, as the tool-set 38 is brought toa compaction position, by urging the top and bottom punches 60′, 60″towards each other, until each punch edge 68′, 68″ and its associateddie inner edge 54′, 54″ are contiguous, thereby forming top and bottomcommon die cavity edges 74′, 74″. In accordance with the preferredembodiment, during the compaction step, the green body end faces 22′,22″ are formed by the punch pressing faces 64′, 64″. Each green bodyedge 26′, 26″ is formed at the common die cavity edges 74′, 74″. Thegreen body relief surface 28′, 28″ are formed by the inner secondperipheral surfaces 52′, 52″, and the green body top and bottom centralsurfaces 30′, 30″ are formed by the inner first peripheral surfaces 50′,50″ of the top and bottom dies 40′, 40″, respectively, while the top andbottom die abutment faces 44′, 44″ coincide with the green body medianplane M.

Due to the presence of the undercut elements of the green body, i.e. thetop and bottom major relief surfaces 28J′, 28J″ having obtuse reliefangles ρJ, and due to the matching geometry of the die inner secondperipheral surfaces 52′, 52″, the green body 20 cannot be released fromthe die cavity 70 and extracted therefrom through the punch tunnel 58′of the top die 40′. In order to release the green body 20 and extract itfrom the tool-set 38, an opening step has to be performed, in which thetool-set is brought to an open position (see FIG. 8). To arrive at theopen position, the top die 40′ and the top punch 60′ are moved up andaway from the bottom die 40″ and the bottom punch 60″, opening the diecavity 70 and thereby exposing the green body 20, leaving it free to beremoved from the bottom die 40″.

The method of manufacturing a cutting insert green body has beenillustrated above for a cutting insert having no through-hole. However,it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the abovedescribed method can easily be applied to manufacturing of cuttinginsert green bodies having through-holes formed therein.

Attention is drawn to FIGS. 9 and 12. A longitudinal through-hole greenbody 220 is compacted by a longitudinal through-hole tool-set 238. Sincethe longitudinal through-hole green body 220 and the longitudinalthrough-hole tool-set 238 have many features which are similar to thoseof the green body 20 without a through-hole and its associated tool-set38, similar features will be referred to herein below by referencenumerals which are shifted by 200 from those of the green body 20without a through-hole and the associated tool-set 38. The longitudinalthrough-hole green body 220 comprises a longitudinal through-hole 76extending between the longitudinal through-hole green body top andbottom end faces 222′, 222″ perpendicularly to the green body medianplane M. The longitudinal through-hole tool-set 238 comprises top andbottom longitudinal pins 78′, 78″ slidably disposed in punch pinthrough-bores 80′, 80″ extending through the punch mounting face 262′,262″ and the punch pressing face 264′, 264″ of the respective top andbottom punches 260′, 260″. During compaction of the longitudinalthrough-hole green body 220, the longitudinal pins 78′, 78″ extend intothe die cavity 270 and constitute a longitudinal rod 82 which extendsbetween the top and bottom punch pressing faces 264′, 264″, to form thelongitudinal through-hole 76 in the compacted longitudinal through-holegreen body 220.

Attention is now drawn to FIGS. 10 and 13. A lateral through-hole greenbody 420 is compacted by a lateral through-hole tool-set 438. Since thelateral through-hole green body 420 and the lateral through-holetool-set 438 have many features which are similar to those of the greenbody 20 without a through-hole and its associated tool-set 38, similarfeatures will be referred to herein below by reference numerals whichare shifted by 400 from those of the green body 20 without athrough-hole and the associated tool-set 38. Thus, the tool-set 438includes top and bottom dies 440′, 440″ and top and bottom punches 460′,460″.

The lateral through-hole green body 420 comprises a lateral through-hole84 extending between lateral through-hole green body major centralsurfaces 430J of opposing lateral through-hole green body major sidefaces 424J along the major axis J. The lateral through-hole tool-set 438comprises first and second lateral pins 86F, 86S slidably disposed infirst and second top and bottom die pin channels 88′F, 88′S, 88″F, 88″S.During compaction of the lateral through-hole green body 420, the firstand second lateral pins 86F, 86S protrude into the die cavity 470 andabut each other to form a lateral rod 90. The lateral rod 90 extendsthrough first and second top and bottom opposing portions 92′F, 92′S,92″F, 92″S of the die inner first peripheral surface to form the lateralthrough-hole 84 of the lateral through-hole green body 420.

The above-described apparatus and method may facilitate pressing andsubsequent ejection of green bodies having undercut elements. They alsomay allow for the formation of green bodies which have sharp,well-defined edges and acute wedge angles of the sort generally founddesirable in cutting inserts manufactured from the green bodies.Finally, by eliminating acute re-entrant elements in its design, a toolset in accordance with the present invention may have adequate rigiditywithout suffering from increased risks of powder adhesion to the dies orpunches and subsequent tear-off damage to the compacted green body.

Although the present invention has been described to a certain degree ofparticularity, it should be understood that alterations andmodifications to the present invention may possibly be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A cutting insert green body tool set comprising: top and bottom diesand top and bottom punches associated therewith, the top and bottompunches being slidably reciprocable relative to their associated top andbottom dies; each die comprising opposing die abutment and die mountingfaces and a die inner peripheral surface extending therebetween, the dieinner peripheral surface comprising an inner first peripheral surfaceextending from the die abutment face, an inner second peripheral surfaceextending from the inner first peripheral surface and converginginwardly to a die inner edge, and an inner third peripheral surfaceextending from the die inner edge to the die mounting face and forming apunch tunnel; each punch comprising opposing punch pressing and punchmounting ends, with a punch peripheral surface extending therebetweenand forming a punch edge at an intersection of the punch peripheralsurface and the punch pressing face; wherein the tool set is adjustablebetween: a first position in which the die abutment faces of the top andbottom dies abut each other with the inner first and second peripheralsurfaces of the top and bottom dies forming a die cavity, the bottompunch is located in the punch tunnel of the bottom die, and the toppunch is external to the punch tunnel of the top die; and a secondposition in which the top punch is located in the punch tunnel of thetop die, the punch edge of the top punch and the die inner edge of thetop die are contiguous, and the punch edge of the bottom punch and thedie inner edge of the bottom die are contiguous.
 2. The cutting insertgreen body tool set according to claim 1, further comprising alongitudinal rod extending between the top and bottom punch pressingfaces through the die cavity.
 3. The cutting insert green body tool setaccording to claim 2, wherein the longitudinal rod comprises top andbottom longitudinal pins occupying respective top and bottom punch pinthrough-bores and meeting in said die cavity.
 4. The cutting insertgreen body tool set according to claim 1, further comprising a lateralrod extending through the die cavity between opposing first and secondinner side portions of the inner first peripheral surfaces of the topand bottom dies.
 5. The cutting insert green body tool set according toclaim 4, wherein the lateral rod comprises first and second lateral pinsoccupying top and bottom die pin channels formed in the top and bottomdies and meeting in said die cavity.
 6. The cutting insert green bodytool set according to claim 1, further comprising: a longitudinal rodextending between the top and bottom punch pressing faces through thedie cavity; and a lateral rod extending through the die cavity betweenopposing first and second inner side portions of the inner firstperipheral surfaces of the top and bottom dies.
 7. The cutting insertgreen body tool set according to claim 6, wherein: the longitudinal rodcomprises top and bottom longitudinal pins occupying respective top andbottom punch pin through-bores and meeting in said die cavity; and thelateral rod comprises first and second lateral pins occupying top andbottom die pin channels formed in the top and bottom dies and meeting insaid die cavity.